The inexpensive new Netflix “Basic with ads” plan launched Thursday, but users of Apple TV quickly discovered they couldn’t access it. Netflix promised a fix, though.
Users of other devices can now watch the streaming service for only for $6.99 a month, as long as they also watch commercials.
Netflix on the cheap… but not for Apple TV
Netflix is the most popular streaming video service, but it’s also the most expensive at up to $20 a month. The company’s solution is a lower-cost, ad-supported rate.
Shortly after the plan debuted, Apple TV users began to complain it wasn’t available to them. And Netflix’s own website notes that “Basic with ads isn’t supported on Apple TV.”
That’s apparently temporary. A Netflix spokesperson told Variety, “Basic with ads plan support on tvOS is not available at launch but coming soon.” Apple TVs run tvOS, and the fix will likely only require an update to the tvOS version of the Netflix app.
As a temporary workaround, the advert-supported plan is available for Mac, iPad and other Apple devices. However, Netflix does not support AirPlay so videos can’t be easily streamed from device to TV.
More about Netflix ad-supported plan
As noted, Netflix’s Basic with ads plan is $6.99 a month in the United States. It is similar to the Basic plan, but with an average of 4 to 5 minutes of ads per hour. Commercials appear before and during shows and films.
It’s for only one screen, video resolution tops out at 720p, and subscribers cannot download movies or TV episodes to watch later.
Also, some content is absent. “A limited number of movies and TV shows won’t be available due to licensing restrictions, which we’re working on,” warned Netflix.
The fresh option is also available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and the UK.
For comparison, Netflix’s Basic plan lets subscribers watch 720p content on one screen for $10 per month, while the Standard plan with 1080p streaming runs $15.50 per month. A Premium plan with 4K streaming and the ability to watch content on up to four devices is $20 per month.
